


You and me?

by JenJo



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Clint is a Disaster, Deaf Clint Barton, M/M, Oblivious, Swearing, They're both oblivious, characters swear, minor references to sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-13
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-07-14 19:50:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7187726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenJo/pseuds/JenJo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A night acting as Tony's bodyguard forces Clint to confront his feelings about the billionaire.<br/>But when does dealing with his feelings ever work out for Clint?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The truth can be rewarding

“You look like shit.”

Clint rolled his eyes, pushing past Kate into her apartment. He didn’t need his ears to know what she had said. He went straight to her kitchen, where she kept a spare set of his hearing aids. 

“Nice to see you too, Hawkeye. Tell me you have a fresh pot of coffee on.”

“Yeah,” Kate closed her door, before following Clint into the kitchen. “But you have to tell me why you’re at my place at-” Kate looked at her phone. “-at three am, in a suit. Why are you in a suit.”

Clint grabbed the pot of coffee, and took a mouthful. “You’re the best kate,” he offered as he sat on the counter top.

“Oh, I am aware,” Kate smiled back, hopping up onto the opposite countertop. “Now. Story. Explain.”

Clint sighed, looking past Kate. “Charity. Fundraiser. Bathroom. Kiss. Bl-”

“Woah, woah, stop,” Kate held up her hands. “Do not finish that word.”

Clint raised an eyebrow at Kate, unimpressed. “Just when I thought you were a big girl.”

“There’s being an adult, and there’s not wanting to know about your sex life. So, who was the unfortunate soul?”

Clint took another sip of his coffee, avoiding looking at Kate.

“And why are you here. Unless,” Kate narrowed her eyes at Clint. “What happened?”

“It is a long story.”   
“And you woke me up at three am. I get the story.”

Clint rolled his eyes. “Fine. It all started a year ago-”   
“No, not that far. Just go for last night.”

“Fine. It all started last night…”

 

~~~~~

 

“Why am I here?” Clint groaned, pulling at the cuffs of his sleeves.

Tony offered him a smile in the mirror, where he was fixing his tie. “You got volunteered to be my bodyguard for the evening.”

“Couldn’t you have had… literally anyone else. Steve?”

“On an op with Natasha and Sam.”

“Rhodey?”

“On a different op.”

“Happy? You know, your  _ actual  _ bodyguard.”

“Honeymoon.”

Clint rolled his eyes, and took a seat. “Fine. Where are we going?”

“Charity gala,” Tony walked to the elevator, Clint followed. “Smile at some people, put in some good press.”

“And you need a bodyguard?”

Tony shrugged. “Apparently. Though,” Tony ran his eyes up and down Clint’s body. “I am glad to have such a fine looking partner for the evening.”

Clint shook his head as the elevator arrived. “Good to know you’re only after me for my good looks, Stark.”

Tony mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like ‘Not only’, though Clint didn’t think that was right. He’d blame the aids.

 

~~~~~

 

_ Okay, this is boring,  _ Clint thought as he stood to Tony’s side. The Stark Charm ™ was in full force, and Clint had to try his hardest to avoid rolling his eyes.

It was all an act, an act which the public couldn’t see through. But Clint, who had been living with the real Tony for the past year, could see right through it.

The lines around his eyes, showing the strain of the late nights which couldn’t be covered with make up.

The strained smile, never wavering. No one’s smile sat that still.

The automatic hand shaking, which finished after a precisely calculated amount of time, and always retreating into his pockets.

Tony may be used to the crowds, but he was far from comfortable here.

 

~~~~~

 

“Clint, this story is going nowhere.”

“Shush Kate, I’m setting up the story. I told you it was a long one.”

“But you’ve left out the part where you’ve been crushing after the guy for the better part of the past year.”

“I was getting to that.”   
“Fine. Continue on, Hawkeye.”

“Thank you Hawkeye.”

 

~~~~~

 

Tony was far from comfortable here. And neither was Clint.

Because the truth was, he was in Love with Tony Stark.

Love with a capital L, as Kate was fond of pointing out.

The pair were far from similar; a billionaire and a carnie did not share many life experiences. What the pair did share was a sense of humour, and a habit of being awake at three am, and unwilling to be alone.

There was no relationship; Clint wasn’t naive to think of that as a possibility. No, he was content with the friendship, the companionability.

( _ Shut up, suspiciously Kate-sounding voice in my head. I’m totally fine. _ )

(Spoiler: Clint is not fine, though he has convinced himself to be fine. Story of his life.)

Clint looked at the man currently talking to Tony, and how this man was reaching out to touch Tony, and had an all too flirtatious smile on his face.

Clint looked at Tony, who was clearly about to break this kid’s heart.

“If you’ll excuse us, Mr Stark has somewhere he has to be. Sir?” Clint turned to Tony, who offered the kid a sad smile.

“Duty calls,” Tony said, before following Clint, dropping his smile. “Was that really necessary?”

“What?”

“You know what,” Tony continued under his breath.

Clint rolled his eyes as the pair weaved through the crowd. “You know I can’t hear you, right?”

“Yep.”

Clint sighed, stopping when Tony was stopped by a group of various guests. He stood just behind Tony, throwing a glare at anyone who got too close to the man.

After five minutes, Tony excused himself to go to the bathroom. Clint followed him, and stopped outside the bathroom.

“Oh no you don’t,” Tony muttered, and pulled Clint into the bathroom. He closed the door, and locked it behind them. “What the hell Barton?”

“What?”

Tony rolled his eyes, turning his back on Clint for a moment. Clint stood in front of the door, arms crossed over his chest.

When Tony turned around, he was running a hand down his face. “You’ve been glaring at everyone I talk to this evening. It’s making them nervous, uncomfortable.”

“What, you sure it isn’t just because they’re in the presence of the great Tony Stark?” Clint sneered. Tony didn’t react to the remark, merely raising an eyebrow.

“Really? We going to play that game?”

Clint threw his hands in the air. “What game Stark?”

Tony shook his head, laughing out hollowly. “The one where we pretend that we’d rather be just friends, friends who tease each other, but both secretly want more.”

Clint dropped his arms, staring at Tony. “What?”

Tony laughed again. “So the game then. You know, I-”

“No, no, no,” Clint waved his hands, taking a step closer to Tony. “Go back to the part where we secretly want more from each other?”

Tony blinked, tilting his head to look assessed at Clint. “Am I reading this wrong? I haven’t been reading this wrong, have I?”

Clint shook his head. “No, you’re right. Just… you’re interested in me? Like that”

“I thought it was obvious?” Tony waved his hands between the pair. “I mean, all the nights we’ve spent together, wasting away the hours.”

“I assumed,” Clint coughed, taking a moment to really look at Tony. “I thought that that was just two people who couldn’t sleep avoiding their nightmares together. I never thought that what I felt could be returned.”

Tony shrugged, taking a step closer and being forced to look up at Clint. “Would I sound stupid if I said I had the same doubts?”

Clint shook his head, reaching a hand out to cup the side of Tony’s head. “Never.”

Clint watched Tony’s mouth move, but couldn’t hear him.

“You wanna repeat that?”

Tony reached up to pull Clint’s face closer. “Just complaining about how tall you are.”

 

~~~~~

 

“And then what happened?”

Clint raised his eyebrows at Kate in answer.

“Oh, right. That,” Kate rolled her eyes, before pointing at Clint. “So why are you here, instead of at the Tower?”

Clint put down the empty pot of coffee, and rubbed the back of his neck. “I was there. We, ah, left the gala soon after eleven.”

“Okay… oh. Oh. Okay,” Kate nodded. “Still, why are you here?”

“I panicked.”

“Clint…”

“Kate, please. I panicked. I woke up, in a bed I’d never been in, with a man who until last night I didn’t know liked me in that way. I understandably panicked.”

“So you came here. What’s he going to think when he wakes up and discovers you’re not there?”

Clint shrugged his shoulders, looking at the ground.

“Clint, you disaster,” Kate jumped off of the counter, and walked over to Clint. She put a hand on his shoulder. “You should go back there. Seriously.”

Clint slid off the counter, and wrapped Kate up in a hug. “Yeah. Thank you Kate.”

“Anytime. Now go,” Kate stepped back, and pushed Clint towards the door. “Go and get your man.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  



	2. But what is truth if not a matter of perspective?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's version of the events which led to their current predicament.  
> Funny how two people can see the same events slightly differently.

 

Tony woke up to the sound of his bedroom door closing. He sat up in bed, stretching his arms over his head.

“JARVIS, where is Clint?”

“Agent Barton is exiting the Tower as we speak, Sir.”

“So this is what it feels like,” Tony dropped back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. “Great job Stark.”

 

~~~~~

 

_ “I assume that you haven’t forgotten the Charity Gala tonight.” _

Tony rolled his eyes as he looked through his tie collection. He was in suit pants, and an undershirt. “No Pep. In fact, I am selecting a tie as we speak.”

_ “Good. You should wear the red one.” _

Tony retrieved the red tie, holding it in front of the mirror. “You don’t think it’d be on the nose?”

_ “You’re Tony Stark. People expect it of you.” _

“This is true,” Tony hung the tie over the mirror, to put on later. “Now, Why are you calling me? Don’t you have a honeymoon to be enjoying?”

_ “Just wanted to make sure that you’re alright.” _

“I am. Don’t worry about me.”

_ “Also, you need to have someone go with you.” _

“Someone? Anyone in particular you’re thinking of?”

_ “You need someone to watch your back. Someone with good eyes, with a body that can step in if necessary.” _

Tony rolled his eyes as he took a seat on his bed, running a hand through his hair. “Why do I get the feeling you have someone in mind?”

_ “Could I be referring to the man you won’t stop talking about?” _

“Pepper.”

_ “I’m sorry Mr Stark, I have a honeymoon to enjoy. I will speak to you later.” _

“Of course. Enjoy.” The call disconnected, and Tony fell back onto his bed, eyes closed.

“This is a reminder that the gala starts in two hours, sir.”

Tony glared at his ceiling. “Fine. Would you advise Mr Barton that his services are required this evening?”

“His services sir?”

Tony rolled his eyes. “You know exactly what I mean. Stop reading between the lines.”

“Very well sir. Mr Barton is on his way up.”

Tony rolled off of his bed, and began searching through his suit collection for one that would fit Clint.

 

~~~

 

“You summoned me?” Clint called out.

“In here!” Tony called back, holding out a suit for Clint. Clint took the suit, eyeing it warily.

“Why?”

“Put it on, I’ll explain afterwards.”

Clint walked to the bathroom, continuing to look confused. While Clint changed, Tony put on his own shirt and jacket.

“Why am I here?” Clint groaned, pulling at the cuffs of his sleeves as he walked out of the bathroom.

Tony offered him a smile in the mirror, where he was fixing his tie. “You got volunteered to be my bodyguard for the evening.”

“Couldn’t you have had… literally anyone else. Steve?”

“On an op with Natasha and Sam.”

“Rhodey?”

“On a different op.”

“Happy? You know, your  _ actual  _ bodyguard.”

“Honeymoon.”

Clint rolled his eyes, and took a seat on the bed. “Fine. Where are we going?”

“Charity gala,” Tony walked to the elevator, Clint followed. “Smile at some people, put in some good press.”

“And you need a bodyguard?”

Tony shrugged. “Apparently. Though,” Tony ran his eyes up and down Clint’s body. “I am glad to have such a fine looking partner for the evening.”

Clint shook his head as the elevator arrived. “Good to know you’re only after me for my good looks, Stark.”

“Not only,” Tony muttered, too quiet to be heard by Clint. He stepped into the elevator, Clint followed. Clint continued to pull at the cuffs of his sleeves. 

“Stop,” Tony turned, and reached out for Clint’s hands. Clint held them out, and Tony fixed them for Clint. “There. Better.” Tony patted the cuffs, before turning back to face the elevator doors.

“Thanks,” Clint said.

Tony shrugged, putting his hands into his pockets. “Can’t have my partner looking shabby.”

“Partner?”

Tony’s eyes went wide; thankfully, he was looking forward so Clint couldn’t see. “Partner. Bodyguard. Same thing.”

_ Smooth Stark. Well done. He  _ definitely  _ bought that. _

“If you say so.”

 

~~~

 

It had been a while since Tony had attended a Charity Gala; between Avengers business, recovery time, SHIELD business, he just hadn’t had the time. Being here tonight, Tony easily slipped back into the Stark ™ role. 

Smile.

Hand shake.

Eye contact.

Personalisation- whether remembering a name, or commenting on an outfit.

Smile.

Smile.

Smile.

It was a simple routine, drilled into him from years of practice.

Clint though? Clint stuck out like… well, like a Carnie in a room of billionaires.

As his bodyguard for the evening, Tony did not have the luxury of talking to Clint. But that didn’t mean that Tony didn’t keep an eye on the man.

He was not enjoying himself. But then, neither was Tony.

“Hello Mr Stark. My name is Ryan, we met last year?”

Tony was drawn out of his thoughts by a man offering a hand, and a smile. 

_ Not many smile at me,  _ Tony thought as he shook the man’s hand. “Ryan. The Tech Conference in Washington, right?”

Ryan’s eyes widened in surprise. “Yes, exactly. Mr Stark.”

“I remember. And please, call me Tony.”

“Tony,” Ryan’s smile took on a flirtatious quality. Tony kept his face neutral, not wanting to raise the man’s hopes.

_ Not when the object of my affection is standing right behind us. _

Ryan was reaching out towards Tony, when he felt a hand on his arm from behind. 

“If you’ll excuse us, Mr Stark has somewhere he has to be. Sir?” Tony offered Ryan a sad smile..

“Duty calls,” Tony said, before turning and following Clint, dropping his smile. “Was that really necessary?”

“What?”

“You know what,” Tony continued under his breath. “Jealous much?”

Clint rolled his eyes as the pair weaved through the crowd. “You know I can’t hear you, right?”

“Yep.”

Tony was stopped by a group of guests surrounding him. He noted that Clint once again took residence standing behind Tony. While talking to the group, he noticed how they all kept shooting worried glances behind him.

_ Barton, what the hell are you doing? _

After five minutes, Tony had had enough. He put on an extra bright smile, hoping to convey his regret at having to leave. “I’m sorry everyone, I need to go to the bathroom. If you’ll excuse me.”

Tony stepped away, and walked off to the bathroom, Clint two steps behind him.

Tony opened the bathroom door, and Clint stood beside the door. Tony rolled his eyes.

“Oh no you don’t,” Tony muttered, reaching out and pulling Clint into the bathroom. Tony closed the door, and locked it behind them. “What the hell Barton?”

“What?” Clint looked genuinely confused. Tony rolled his eyes, turning his back on Clint for a moment. He took the moment to breath out a couple of times, and try and sort his thoughts out.

When Tony turned around, he was running a hand down his face. All trace of the Stark ™ charm was gone. “You’ve been glaring at everyone I talk to this evening. It’s making them nervous, uncomfortable.”

“What, you sure it isn’t just because they’re in the presence of the great Tony Stark?” Clint sneered. Tony didn’t react to the remark, merely raising an eyebrow.

“Really? We going to play that game?”

Clint threw his hands in the air. “What game Stark?”

Tony shook his head, laughing out hollowly.  _ Damn it Clint we’re in a bathroom!  _  “The one where we pretend that we’d rather be just friends, friends who tease each other, but both secretly want more.”

Clint dropped his arms, staring at Tony. “What?”

Tony laughed again. “So the game then. You know, I-”

“No, no, no,” Clint waved his hands, taking a step closer to Tony. “Go back to the part where we secretly want more from each other?”

_ What?  _ Tony blinked, tilting his head to look assessed at Clint. “Am I reading this wrong? I haven’t been reading this wrong, have I?”

Clint shook his head. “No, you’re right. Just… you’re interested in me? Like that”

“I thought it was obvious?” Tony waved his hands between the pair. “I mean, all the nights we’ve spent together, wasting away the hours.”

“I assumed,” Clint coughed, taking a moment to really look at Tony. “I thought that that was just two people who couldn’t sleep avoiding their nightmares together. I never thought that what I felt could be returned.”

Tony shrugged, taking a step closer and being forced to look up at Clint. “Would I sound stupid if I said I had the same doubts?”

Clint shook his head, reaching a hand out to cup the side of Tony’s head. “Never.”

“How have I never noticed how very tall you are?” Tony muttered, marvelling at how Clint stood slightly over him.

“You wanna repeat that?” Clint was smiling, which Tony took as a good sign.

Tony reached up to pull Clint’s face closer. “Just complaining about how tall you are,” Tony explained, pulling Clint into a kiss. The kiss was made difficult when Clint decided it would be a great time to begin laughing.

“Why are you laughing?” Tony pulled back, but kept close enough that their lips brushed as he spoke.

“Sorry, it’s just. We’re in a bathroom. A public bathroom, where anyone can walk in at any time.”

Tony shook his head, moving one of his hands to the back of Clint’s head. “Well, if it makes you feel better, no one ever uses the bathrooms at these things. Wasted time that could be used to talk to someone.”

Clint nodded, still smiling as he moved his hands to loop around Tony’s neck. “Still. A bathroom?”

“I admit, not the most ideal location. Might I suggest we pick this up back at the Tower?”

“You do have an awfully nice bed, if I recall.”

Tony pressed forward for another kiss, this one slightly more successful now that Clint wasn’t laughing, but rather reciprocating.  _ Enthusiastically  _ reciprocating.

“Bed,” Clint breathed out when the pair parted. “I’ve wanted this for a long time, and there’s no way it’s going to be in a bathroom.”

Tony pulled back, and Clint’s eyes were wide.

“Did I say that out loud?” Clint closed one eye, face scrunching up in embarrassment.

Tony nodded, but pressed a quick kiss to Clint’s lips. “Luckily for you, I feel exactly the same way.” Tony took Clint’s hand, and gave it a squeeze. “Come on, I’ll go make some goodbyes, and then we will pick this up in that wonderful bed of mine.

 

~~~

 

“Great job Stark. You finally find out that your  _ crush  _ feels the same way, and you blow it.”

Thinking back though, Tony struggled to figure out just  _ how  _ he had blown it. Clearly Clint felt something for him. And the sex was  _ great. _

“So where has Barton gone?”

“It may interest you to know, that Mr Barton is in the elevator on his way back up as we speak, sir.”

Tony sat up, looking around the room. 

_ Do I want to do this naked or not? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the response to chapter one. This story sprang from me thinking about how these two would come together as a couple.  
> And I figure, not conventionally. They're certainly not a couple yet.  
> Will probably take some talking to get there. So we're in for a journey.  
> Let me know what you think- I'll do my best to update at least once a week. Hopefully. Comments certainly prompt me to update faster.  
> :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading.  
> A quick thing I wrote while my internet wasn't working.  
> There will be more chapters to come- Tony's got some feelings too.
> 
> ~Next chapter~
> 
> Tony woke up to the sound of his bedroom door closing. He sat up in bed, stretching his arms over his head.  
> “JARVIS, where is Clint?”  
> “Agent Barton is exiting the Tower as we speak, Sir.”  
> “So this is what it feels like,” Tony dropped back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. “Great job Stark.”


End file.
